The First Trial in the Snake Belly

The moment the warehouse door was kicked open, its rusty hinges let out a piercing shriek.

Lin Xiao's eyes had already adjusted to the dim light. He could make out the silhouettes of the intruders—five men, fully armed, their tactical vests loaded with magazines, their gun barrels sweeping across the dark warehouse. At their head stood a burly bald man with a face full of flesh, a neck so thick it was nearly invisible, built like a moving wall of meat.

"Black Bear." Wolf whispered the name behind Lin Xiao, his voice trembling with barely suppressed fear.

Lin Xiao knew that name. In rumors from Hydra's outer bases in his previous life, Black Bear had been one of Fletcher's chief enforcers, known for cruelty and fanatical loyalty. His grip on the gun did not move, but his index finger shifted from the trigger guard to beside the trigger—at this distance, the MP5's rate of fire was enough to take down at least two of them before they opened fire, but the remaining three...

"Put down your weapon," Lin Xiao said quietly to Su Ying.

Su Ying did not move immediately. Her body remained taut, like a fully drawn bow. Lin Xiao could sense the dangerous aura radiating from her, the instinctive reaction of an apex predator whose territory had been invaded.

"I said, put down your weapon." Lin Xiao repeated himself, his voice carrying an unquestionable command.

Su Ying loosened her fingers. Her dagger slid back into its sheath in a movement so smooth it was almost invisible. Lin Xiao lowered the MP5's muzzle toward the floor, though his fingers still gripped the weapon.

Black Bear grinned, exposing a row of yellow teeth. His eyes swept over the three of them, lingering briefly on Lin Xiao's face before settling on Su Ying. Naked desire flashed through those tiny eyes, like a beast spotting prey.

"Captain Fletcher heard that a few 'smart ones' survived the attack, and even saved someone?" Black Bear's voice was rough, heavy with an Eastern European accent. "Come on. The captain likes smart subordinates."

The soldiers behind him stepped forward two paces, their guns still trained on the three of them. Lin Xiao noted their positioning—two blocked the door, two covered the flanks, while Black Bear stood in the center. It was a standard tactical formation, not the caliber of ordinary thugs.

"How do we know you work for Captain Fletcher?" Lin Xiao asked calmly.

Black Bear's smile vanished. He took a step forward, his heavy boots crunching over wood shavings. Lin Xiao could smell sweat, gun oil, and a faint trace of vodka on him.

"Kid," Black Bear said, his voice lowering, "you have two choices now. First, come with me and meet the captain. Second, I break your legs and drag you there."

The air in the warehouse froze.

Su Ying's fingers twitched slightly. From the corner of his eye, Lin Xiao saw the muscles in her forearm tense—she was calculating the distance, the angle and speed of her strike. Black Bear was only three meters away. At that range, with her skills, she could slit his throat before he reacted.

But the other four soldiers would open fire.

Lin Xiao's mind completed the calculation in an instant. Black Bear had barged in so directly, which meant Fletcher already knew their location. Refusal meant immediate conflict, and their forged identities had yet to survive an in-person inspection—this was a hurdle their plan had to clear.

"We'll go with you," Lin Xiao said.

He stepped forward, placing himself between Su Ying and Black Bear. It was a subtle move, interrupting any ambush Su Ying might launch while also sending Black Bear a message—he was the leader of this temporary team.

Black Bear stared at him for two seconds, then snorted and turned toward the door.

"Take their equipment," he said without looking back.

Two soldiers stepped forward and roughly seized Lin Xiao's MP5 and Su Ying's dagger. Another searched Wolf and took away the portable radio. Wolf's face was pale and his lips trembled, but Lin Xiao stopped him from making any unnecessary moves with a look.

Two military jeeps were parked outside the warehouse, their engines still running, exhaust condensing into white mist in the cold air. Lin Xiao was shoved into the first vehicle, while Su Ying and Wolf were put into the second. The instant the door shut, he heard Black Bear say something to the driver in Russian, but he understood it—"Keep an eye on that woman."

The engines roared, and the jeeps drove away from the abandoned warehouse district.

Lin Xiao sat in the back seat with a soldier on either side. Frost coated the windows, and through the blurred glass, he could see scenes flashing past outside—ruins of bombed-out buildings, burned vehicles, and the sweeping beams of spotlights on the distant base walls cutting across the night sky.

The air was filled with a mixture of gunpowder smoke and blood, a smell that could be detected even through the windows. The driver turned on the heater, but the cabin remained cold. Lin Xiao could feel the chill of the metal seat through his thin combat uniform.

About fifteen minutes later, the jeep entered the interior of the base.

The scene here was more orderly than the outskirts, but also more oppressive. Concrete buildings stood in neat rows, each with armed sentries. Soldiers patrolled through the night in perfectly synchronized steps. Lin Xiao noticed several details—some soldiers wore traditional Hydra insignia on their sleeves, others wore simplified versions, and some wore no armbands at all.

Signs of factional division.

The vehicles stopped in front of a three-story building. It was relatively intact, with two armed guards at the entrance and a sniper position on the roof. Black Bear jumped out and beckoned to Lin Xiao.

"Get out."

Lin Xiao stepped down, and the cold wind immediately poured into his collar. He took a deep breath, letting the icy air sting his lungs and force himself to stay alert. Su Ying and Wolf were brought down as well, and the three entered the building under soldier escort.

The interior had the typical style of a military building—concrete floors, white walls, exposed pipes overhead, and fluorescent tubes. The lights were bright enough to make Lin Xiao squint. He could hear typewriters clacking in the distance, static from radio communications, and faint arguments.

Black Bear led them to the second floor and stopped before a heavy wooden door. There was no sign on it, only a simple number plate: 207.

"Wait here," Black Bear said, then knocked on the door.

A calm voice came from inside. "Come in."

Black Bear pushed open the door and gestured for the three to enter.

The office was not large, roughly twenty square meters. A heavy solid-wood desk stood against the wall, piled with files and maps. A world map hung on the wall, densely marked with symbols in red and blue. A small safe sat in one corner, beside a weapon rack lined neatly with assault rifles and pistols.

Captain Fletcher sat behind the desk.

He was a middle-aged man in his forties, with hair combed meticulously and a crisply pressed uniform. His face was gaunt, his cheekbones prominent, and his eyes deeply set, sharp as an eagle's. When Lin Xiao and the others entered, his gaze slowly passed over them without a trace of expression.

"Captain, I brought them," Black Bear said, with a hint of respect in his voice.

Fletcher nodded, signaling that Black Bear could leave. Black Bear hesitated, glanced at Su Ying, but ultimately stepped out and shut the door.

Only four people remained in the room.

Fletcher did not speak at once. He picked up a steel pen from the desk and slowly spun it between his fingers. It was silver, reflecting a cold gleam beneath the lights. After turning it for about ten seconds, he finally spoke, his voice as calm as if he were discussing the weather.

"Names, identification numbers, unit assignments."

Lin Xiao gave his forged identity details. His voice was steady and his pace moderate—not too fast to seem nervous, not too slow to seem suspicious. Wolf followed with his own information. His voice shook a little, but remained clear enough.

When it was Su Ying's turn, she fell silent for two seconds.

Fletcher raised his head, his eyes settling on her face. Those eagle eyes were as sharp as scalpels, as if they could cut through flesh and see the thoughts beneath.

"Mercenary," Su Ying said coldly. "No identification number, no fixed unit. Hired by the Seventh Action Squad as an outer-perimeter scout. Three-month contract."

"Who hired you?"

"Squad leader Hawk. He was killed in the attack."

Fletcher's pen stopped spinning. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the desk, his fingers interlocked before his chin. The posture made his stare even more oppressive.

"Tell me about the attack," he said. "From the moment you received the alarm until you escaped into that warehouse. Every detail."

Lin Xiao began his account.

He described a story that was half truth, half lie—when the alarm sounded, they had been on duty at an outer sentry post. The explosions began on the eastern side, followed by intense gunfire. The Seventh Action Squad had received orders to provide support, but they were ambushed on the way. Squad leader Hawk ordered them to scatter and break out. The three of them headed west, encountered several groups of enemies along the way, and evaded pursuit through luck and terrain.

"How many did you kill?" Fletcher interrupted suddenly.

Lin Xiao paused. The question was crucial—too few would make them look incompetent, while too many would sound suspicious. Recalling what he knew from his previous life about the combat ability of soldiers stationed at such outer bases, he gave a reasonable number. "Three confirmed kills. Maybe two more seriously wounded."

"What weapons?"

"I used an MP5. Wolf had a standard-issue rifle. Su Ying..." He glanced at Su Ying. "She took out one enemy who got too close with a dagger."

Fletcher turned his attention to Su Ying. "Miss Mercenary, can you describe that enemy?"

Su Ying's expression did not change. She looked Fletcher directly in the eye, her voice still cold. "Male, about one meter eighty, around eighty kilograms. Wearing black combat gear with no obvious insignia. Armed with an AK-74U compact assault rifle. I approached from the side and cut his carotid artery. He tried to turn over as he fell, so I finished him with another strike, driving the blade into his heart between the fourth and fifth ribs."

The description was too detailed.

Lin Xiao's heart tightened. Ordinary soldiers rarely remembered so many details in a life-or-death fight, especially something as precise as the location of ribs. But Su Ying was a former S.H.I.E.L.D. elite agent—observing, analyzing, and remembering were instincts to her.

The corner of Fletcher's mouth moved slightly. It might have been a smile. Or it might not.

"Very professional," he said, then turned to Wolf. "Communications officer, was your radio damaged during the attack?"

Wolf's body visibly shuddered. Lin Xiao saw beads of sweat form on his forehead from the corner of his eye.

"N-no, not completely," Wolf said, his voice dry. "But the antenna broke. I could only receive short-range signals."

"Did you try to contact headquarters?"

"I-I did. But the channel was full of static. Maybe electronic interference..."

"Which frequency did you use?"

Wolf froze. His lips moved, but no sound came out. Lin Xiao knew what he was thinking—the forged identity details had not included a specific communications frequency, yet a qualified communications officer should have answered immediately.

The air in the room seemed to freeze solid.

Fletcher's fingers tapped lightly against the desk, producing a rhythmic clicking. Each tap seemed to strike directly against their hearts. Wolf's face grew paler and paler, sweat rolling down his cheeks.

Just as Lin Xiao prepared to step in, Su Ying spoke.

"He used the backup frequency, 17.5 megahertz." Her voice was calm, as if stating a fact. "After the standard frequency was jammed, Squad Leader Hawk ordered a switch to the backup channel. But he was shot just after giving the order."

Fletcher turned his gaze toward her. "How do you know?"

"I was beside Hawk at the time," Su Ying said. "His final words before he was shot were, 'Switch to the backup frequency.' The communications officer did as ordered, but by then we were already surrounded, and the signal was completely suppressed."

A perfect addition.

Lin Xiao silently breathed a sigh of relief. Su Ying had not only provided a reasonable explanation, but also strengthened the story's authenticity through its details—Hawk's dying order, the communications officer's obedience, and their final helplessness. Such things were common on the battlefield, making the tale sound more believable instead.

Fletcher remained silent for several seconds. His gaze moved back and forth across the three faces, as though weighing something. Then he leaned back in his chair and picked up a file from the desk.

"The Seventh Action Squad's casualty list has already been confirmed," he said, his voice unreadable. "Twelve dead, four missing. The three of you are listed among the missing."

He raised his eyes. "But interestingly, this list was only updated early this morning. The attack occurred yesterday evening. There's a six-hour gap between them—your records were added afterward."

Here it came.

Lin Xiao's heart tightened slightly. This was the weakest link in their forged identity plan—the timing discrepancy. Wolf had hacked the system to add their records, but the system logs would retain timestamps. Fletcher had clearly checked them.

"We... after we escaped, we found a place to hide first," Lin Xiao said, keeping his voice steady. "Only after confirming it was safe did we try to contact the base. Wolf used his skills... to restore part of the radio's function and sent a distress signal. That was when the system recorded us."

"What tools did you use to repair the radio?"

"A multitool, and... some basic soldering knowledge." Wolf suddenly spoke. Though his voice still trembled, some composure had returned. "I took apart the radio casing, scraped the burned circuitry clean with the blade, then... heated the blade with a lighter and used it for temporary soldering."

The explanation was rough, but it fit the image of a communications officer struggling in desperation—using every available tool to accomplish the impossible. More importantly, it explained why the record was delayed: they had been running, hiding, and trying to survive.

Fletcher stared at Wolf for a long time. Then he slowly nodded and set down the file in his hand.

"Lucky," he said, with no telling whether it was praise or mockery in his tone. "To survive in that situation and retain communications capability. The base needs people like that right now."

He opened a drawer and took out three cards. They were official identification cards, made of plastic and printed with the Hydra insignia and personal information.

"Lin Xiao, Wolf, you are assigned to the Fourth Action Team. Their team lost five people in yesterday's attack and needs replacements." Fletcher pushed two cards to the edge of the desk. "Su Ying... as temporary support personnel, you will be assigned to the Fourth Action Team for now. But your contract must be renewed. The base will pay the standard mercenary rate."

Lin Xiao stepped forward and took the cards. The plastic felt cold in his hand. The photograph showed his current face—young, slightly immature, yet carrying a depth in his eyes that did not match his age. A magnetic strip and chip ran along the card's edge. It was proof of access to the base's core areas.

"The Fourth Team is stationed in Area B, second underground level," Fletcher said. "Black Bear will take you there. Remember, the base is under martial law. You are not permitted to leave designated areas without authorization. Violators..."

He did not finish, but the meaning was clear.

The three turned to leave. Just as Lin Xiao's hand touched the doorknob, Fletcher's voice sounded again.

"The base has been unsettled lately. Smart people should know which side to stand on."

Lin Xiao turned back. Fletcher still sat behind the desk, his fingers lightly tapping the surface. His gaze rested on Lin Xiao's face, something complicated gleaming in those eagle eyes—wariness, scrutiny, and a trace of... expectation?

"Work hard," Fletcher said. "There may be an opportunity."

The door closed.

In the corridor, Black Bear was already waiting. He glanced at the three of them, especially Su Ying, then turned toward the stairs. "Follow me."

Lin Xiao followed behind him, but his mind raced. What had Fletcher meant by those final words? "Know which side to stand on"—was he hinting at internal factional struggles within the base, or testing their loyalties? "There may be an opportunity"—an opportunity for promotion, or something else?

As they passed Fletcher's office window, Lin Xiao cast a glance inside from the corner of his eye.

Fletcher had already risen and was standing with his back to the window, staring at the map on the wall. On his desk, beside the file he had set down, was another document. Its cover was dark blue, with a red stamp in the upper-left corner reading "Classified." A few words could vaguely be seen in the title field.

Supplies... redistribution... vote

The writing was blurry, but Lin Xiao's eyesight seemed to have improved after his rebirth, allowing him to make out the rough outline. More importantly, he saw a line of smaller print beneath the title.

Proposed by: Dr. List

Dr. List.

Lin Xiao's heart jolted. In the memories of his previous life, that name belonged to one of Hydra's Radical Faction scientists, devoted to dangerous biological modification experiments. In the original timeline, Dr. List would become one of the key figures behind the Centipede Project several years later, creating vast numbers of unstable superpowered individuals.

And now, this man was already in the base, and he was pushing some kind of vote concerning "supply redistribution."

What did that mean?

It meant the factional struggle within the base was no longer merely a contest for power. It had escalated to the distribution of resources. And what supplies would a Radical Faction scientist like Dr. List need? Experimental equipment? Biological samples? Or... living test subjects?

"Hurry up!" Black Bear urged impatiently from ahead.

Lin Xiao withdrew his gaze and caught up with the group. The stairwell descended into the underground levels. The lights on the walls shifted to a cold white, and the air carried the smell of disinfectant mixed with the damp, moldy odor unique to underground spaces.

His fingers tightened around the identification card. Its plastic edge was sharp enough to sting his palm.

They had passed the first trial.

But what they had entered was the deeper belly of the snake, far more dangerous than the world outside. And here, every breath could draw in deadly venom.